The San Diego Padres have decided to become buyers at the trade deadline and make a run for the Wild Card after all. The Padres have acquired LHP Rich Hill and 1B/OF Ji Man Choi in a trade with the Pittsburgh Pirates, according to Dennis Lin of The Athletic. Prospects Jackson Wolf, Estuar Suero, and Alfonso Rivas will be heading to Pittsburgh in the deal.

There were questions of whether or not the Padres, who have severely underperformed weighty expectations heading into the season, would end up being buyers at the trade deadline. A recent stretch of solid play inched the Padres closer to .500 (52-55) and perhaps made the decision a bit easier for Padres GM A.J. Preller.

New veterans for the Padres

Rich Hill, 43, has finally started to show signs of decline with the Pirates this season, compiling a 7-10 record with a 4.76 ERA. Still, the veteran starter provides the Padres rotation with some solid depth for the stretch run and is a proven postseason performer. Hill has a 3.06 career postseason ERA and pitched extremely well in World Series appearances with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Keeping Rich Hill away from a reunion with the Dodgers — and other NL contenders — certainly must have factored into the trade cost for the Padres. Getting another lefty arm in the rotation behind Blake Snell doesn't hurt, either.

Choi, 32, is no stranger to the postseason himself and was one of Tampa Bay's unexpected heroes during their run to the World Series in 2020. Choi has appeared in just 23 games for Pittsburgh this season, hitting .205/.224/.507 with 6 home runs.

The Padres have struggled to get power from their first base and DH spots this season, as Jake Cronenworth is slugging just .365 and DH Matt Carpenter is slugging just .302. Choi should provide some extra pop, as he slugs .432 on his career and had 19 home runs back in 2019 with Tampa Bay. Like Hill, Choi is also on an expiring contract and is set to hit free agency this offseason.

Choi will join fellow South Korean native Ha-Seong Kim in the Padres infield. The Padres will kick off next season with an opening “Seoul Series” against the Dodgers in South Korea.

The prospects going to the Pirates

The Padres had to part with prospects to acquire Pittsburgh's veterans, with Jackson Wolf being the highest-rated of the bunch. The left-handed 23-year-old was San Diego's 16th-ranked prospect and could “provide starting depth” according to MLB.com's rankings.

“Wolf's sweeping slider and vertical curveball are his two actual above-average offerings, both playing well off the heater, while he’s continually working on establishing a consistent changeup. Because he’s more reliant on the breakers, Wolf posted harsh righty-lefty splits last season – 16 of his 17 homers allowed came against opposite-side hitters – and that’ll be a concern. Despite the movement, he could still throw enough strikes to provide starting depth, but entering his age-24 season, the clock is ticking on determining his future role.”

Wolf had been playing in AA San Antonio, where he was 8-9 with a 4.08 ERA.

Alfonso Rivas, 26, gives the Pirates a left-handed bat at first base to replace Ji Man Choi. Rivas is a career .245/.330/.323 hitter in 310 career at-bats and has bounced back and forth between the minors and big leagues this season. Rivas has been on fire in a hitter-friendly park in El Paso, hitting .332/.462/.582 in 58 AAA games this season.

Estuar Suero may be the real prize for Pittsburgh, as the 17-year-old is just beginning to scratch the surface of his potential.

Losing Suero is a tough pill for the Padres to swallow, but it's highly unlikely he'll be up in the majors anytime soon.

Why it makes sense for San Diego

Even given the deficit in the standings, the window to compete for the Padres is now, and getting a productive starter like Rich Hill and a power bat in Ji Man Choi addresses important areas of need. The Padres also didn't take on any future salary, which is important with Blake Snell and Josh Hader both heading to free agency.

San Diego may not be done dealing yet, but picking up a reliable left-handed starter with playoff experience and a bench bat with power should be seen as a clear win given that the Padres didn't have to part with any top prospects. It's not the splashy “all-in” move we've come to expect from Preller, but it's a solid, low-risk maneuver that could pay dividends if the Padres finally pull it all together.

Trade Grades:

Pittsburgh: C+

San Diego: B